Black and Red Journal

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Going into
this week’s episode of Finding Your Roots I wanted to approach viewing the
series from a different angle as I watch each episode. With many of the programs similar to this the central theme is based around the genealogy of
celebrities.

I asked the
question is this the element of the programs that make them
successful? At the various shows core is basic genealogy that those of
us who conduct research are familiar, nothing new! However there must be
something that make these programs viable and have advertisers, sponsors and
various donor foundations contributing what I have to believe are sizable sums
of money to keep them on television.

With this week’s
show “In Search of Our Fathers” the basics of genealogical research didn't
change from one guest to the other and the fact that all were celebrities with
different backgrounds the other thing that was compelling to their story in my
opinion was the fact each knew very little about their father and until
approached by Professor Gates, they didn't seem motivated enough to conduct research
on their own to satisfy any curiosity they had on their father or their
paternal ancestors.

This made me
consider even more how much does this attitude pervade our society? We all have
people in our own family who may not have as intense an interest in the family
genealogical history and they go on to have “successful” lives without this
knowledge.

Yet what we
saw last night with the new found knowledge of their fathers each guess was
emotionally touched by the information. What is it about us as people that we
resist knowing our ancestors yet have in the back of our mind the need and
longing to know that history that in many cases was never told to us as we grew
up?

As a “family
historian” I’m keenly aware of the various fields of study that go into
thoroughly researching genealogy; census records, geography, law, computer
science, graphic arts, photography, writing, research, library science and the
list goes on with the many disciplines old and new that help me become a “good”
researcher.

That should
not be an adequate reason for these people to accomplish so much in their lives
and still have that void of who their ancestors were and what their lives were
like. Certainly we saw that lives circumstances made them gaining knowledge challenging.

It had to
one of the major causes for Courtney Vance’s father taking his life, not
knowing who his birth mother and father were? It had to wear on Stephen King
that his mother did not mention his father after he left them when King was
such a young age. With Gloria Reuben having a father who was elderly when she
was born, she had to have felt robbed of his presence as a child growing up.

Despite all
of the adversity of their childhoods all three thrived but clearly had a void that was healed just
a little bit when provided with just the smallest bits of their father’s
stories. So again, what is it that makes these shows, these stories so
compelling to watch when all it is is basic genealogy?

Monday, September 22, 2014

I was having a wonderful discussion with a colleague this
morning concerning an upcoming event presented by the Oklahoma Genealogical
Society. On the surface this would appear to be a nice event that is being
supported by the state institution known as the Oklahoma Historical Society and
the federal institution we know as the National Archives and Record
Administration located in Dallas Ft. Worth, Texas.

You throw in a little Ancestry.com as a supporter an active
participant with some special emphasis on the so called Five Civilized Tribes
and one would have a feeling that the history of Oklahoma and Native Americans
has some significant to these institutions and deserve to have their unique
history represented with tours, storytelling and some actual cultural events
that represent the true history of Indian Territory as well the state of Oklahoma.

Clearly the events planned seem well thought out and with
fees for the events, tours and various learning sessions; it is not an unusual
undertaking unless you are a descendant of a Indian Territory Freedman.

As hard as I looked there was not one mention of the
freedmen in the history of Indian Territory, Oklahoma Territory or the state of
Oklahoma in any of the syllabuses for the weekends programming.

If the event is by a genealogical society for “Oklahoma” and
they are using taxpayer institutions to conduct these events, why are not all
of the state’s citizens being represented in this program and to the point, why
not the genealogy and history of the former slaves of the Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians who seem to have a major role in the event?

It is almost like the Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma
Genealogical Society, Ancestry.com and the National Archives are participating
in the perpetuation of a segregated history of the “Twin Territories” and the
state of Oklahoma.

Clearly the freedmen have a genealogy and history that runs
parallel to the five tribes because they were an integral part of the tribes from
the infamous “Trail of Tears” to the Civil War, through the period before
statehood and up to today, yet there is no mention of this history to the point
that makes you wonder if the history of the freedmen is being ignored,
marginalized or segregated from the true history and genealogy of Indian
Territory, the Five Civilized Tribes and the state of Oklahoma.

Truly remarkable when you stop and think about it, when you
see there is a session on the Dawes Commission records, it is a fact that a
good portion of those records pertain to people of African and African-Native
descent. How in good conscientious can these institutions and Ancestry.com fail
to specifically include this portion of the population in this program?

What, do we have to do, conduct our own segregated program
of bus tours and genealogy sessions to become a part of the history of Indian
Territory and state of Oklahoma? Instead of calling it Ancestry Day in Oklahoma
they should call it Segregated History Day in Oklahoma.

At some point the tribes, NARA, OHS, and Ancestry will have to come to the conclusion, there were people of African and African-Native descent involved in this history and their story deserves as much attention as everyone else!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

“I’ve spent much of my
life searching for the stories of the African American peoples; I’ve always
wanted to tell their story” Henry Louis Gates

As I watched Episode 3 of “African Americans: Many Rivers to
Cross” I was reminded of the Naked Gun movie and the scene where explosions are
going off, cars are being demolished and all kinds of havoc are going on when
the main character of the movie parts the crowd and deadpans, “move along
people there’s nothing to see here.” If you have ancestors that lived in Indian
Territory, watching this program would be like the Naked Gun, no reason to
watch, just move along, nothing to see…

Having said all of that, there was considerable attention
given to the proposition of former slaves owning their own land and an emphasis
was placed on the Sea Islands for their farming of the a special blend of cotton and the fact that
these blacks had the opportunity to grow this cotton on their own land.

I find it increasingly difficult to say good things about Dr. Gates and his so called “searching for stories of the
African American people.” Episode three dealt with the issue of General
Field Order # 15 issued by General
William Tecumseh Sherman granting the proverbial forty acres and
a mule to the emancipated slaves.

Map of Indian Territory Located at Fort Smith, Arkansas Museum

If the producers had taken the time to research the history
of “The African American peoples” they would have EASILY discovered thousands
of former slaves working land of their own and a treaty that granted these
former slaves anywhere from forty to one hundred and sixty acres of land for
every man, woman and child that was enslaved or a descendant of a former slave
in the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek or Seminole Nations.

Following the Civil War the Five Slave Holding Tribes agreed
to treaties in 1866 that emancipated their slaves; adopt them into the nation
of their last slave owner as a citizen and provide them with land to become
self sufficient.For the thousands of African Americans formerly enslaved in Indian Territory, they would have the ability
to farm land that “state Negroes” could only dream about.

The idea that a complete and thorough history of “African
American peoples” is being presented with this program has been increasingly
disappointing. Evidently, the idea of former slaves owning and farming their
own land and developing all black towns while facing long odds and southern
hostility did not occur for the former slaves of Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw,
Creek and Seminole Indians.

I have to ask the question why?

The struggle for civil rights among the Indian Territory
freedmen is extensively documented in government record after government record
from the Congressional Record to the Supreme Court; again, why is this history
being excluded as part of African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross?

House Executive Document 207 42nd Congress, 3rd Session

If the producers and Professor Gates were dedicated to
presenting the “stories of the African American peoples” he most certainly should
have been aware of the rich stories about survival, protest and political
intrigue that existed in Indian Territory following the Civil War. The Five
Slave Holding Tribes fought on the side of the confederacy to protect their
institution of chattel slavery. Yet
there was not one word concerning this history and the African Americans in
Indian Territory affected by the war and it’s aftermath.

For the record, there is no way Dr. Gates can claim
ignorance to this part of “African American history. In another made for
television program he produced; Dr. Gates presented the genealogy of actor DonCheadle who is, in fact a Chickasaw Freedmen descendant. During the course of
his presentation to Cheadle, Gates was quick to point out the one person who
had some connection to Native Americans had no discernible “Indian blood” in his
DNA; rightfully so, but to dismiss this history as a vital part of African
American history is without a doubt problematic and incomplete.

Chickasaw Freedmen Dawes Card#729 Mary Kemp ancestor of Don Cheadle's

At this point I have absolutely no confidence the history of African Americans and their descendants who survived slavery among the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians will be presented in this six part program; African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. As I look at this last night was a perfect opportunity to present the history of Native Americans involvement in the Civil War and the land acquired by thousands of African Americans because despite General Field Order #15, these were probably the only former slaves that received at least forty acres. How the program missed that is beyond belief.

Land Allotment Land Description for Mary Kemp Ancestor of Don Cheadle

Mound Bayou was touted as an example of what former slaves could do when allowed to live alone in an all black town providing for their family's. It is remarkable not a word was mentioned about the multitude of "all black towns" in Indian Territory.

When you look at the history of all black towns in Indian
Territory and later the state of Oklahoma, you see towns from Bailey to Wybark with
many of the citizens there former slaves and their descendants along with
former slaves of the United States settling in during reconstruction to
establish a place where they could worship, raise a family and provide the
necessities of life to survive and prosper. Why there hasn't been any mention
of these African Americans is a mystery to me; especially since Professor Gates
has prior exposure to this very history.

The freedmen of Indian Territory who were enslaved by the
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians rebelled during their
enslavement and some found their way to military locations where the Union Army
was stationed to volunteer to fight to secure their freedmen as United States
Colored Troops. These men came back to the Territory to become some of the leading
men in the territory to continue their struggle for equal rights, citizenship
and a share of the land that a few short years earlier they had been enslaved.

Senate Document 82 40th Congress, 2nd Session p5

There were many men who survived the Civil War in one capacity or another when the war was over these former slaves manifested the leadership skills necessary to serve their community during the struggle to equal rights as citizens in the nations of their birth.They became interpreters, lawmen, farmers, and civic leaders their efforts should be recognized as contributions to the history of African Americans.A few of them survived and lived to be allotted land by the Dawes Commission circa 1898-1914.

If forty acres of land is the benchmark for progress it was in full effect in Indian Territory.

The transition from slave to freedman was seen in full effect in Indian Territory.

The ups and downs of Reconstruction was seen in full effect in Indian Territory.

Dealing with lynching and Jim Crow was seen in full effect in Indian Territory.

What does it take to recognize this history of African Americans on the other side of the Mississippi River?

What is the problem with recognizing the history of the African Americans just north of the Red River?

Indian Territory Freedmen and their descendants could borrow a phrase from Harriett Tubman, "Ain't I African American?"

This blog post is part of a collaboration of posts being shared by a group of bloggers who are part of the African American Genealogy Blogging Circle. We are sharing our own personal family stories, as the series air on PBS. The Bloggers are:

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

I am struck
by the use of timelines to tell the story of "African American history" and how
they can illustrate so many points along the “Many Rivers” we have crossed. The
first time I was made aware of timelines was a presentation given at the
genealogical society I have been a member since it’s founding; African American
Genealogical Society of Northern California.

Don’t ask me
who gave the presentation and I apologize to the woman that did, however her
lesson was not lost on me. As I continue to view the program “African Americans:
Many Rivers to Cross” it is apparent the producers and historians are utilizing
this technique to tell the complex history of blacks in America.

What has puzzled
me (to some extent) is not what is being offered as historical events along
this timeline but what I would consider a history that is just as interesting
and vital in telling a more complete story of African Americans and their history on the
American continent.

Episode two
opened on the timeline of 1781 with the story of ElizabethFreeman aka Mum Bett, a woman who filed suit for her freedom because she
believed she too was entitle to the “pursuit of happiness” as was expressed
around the dinner table she served.

The timeline
was used again to illustrate the point in time when in 1786 Richard Allen
purchased his freedom and moved to Philadelphia where he would eventually found
the African Methodist Episcopal Church. As the program pointed out, the church
he attended previously segregated the congregation and reminded Allen that
freedom did not mean “equal.”

The date on
the timeline of 1800 illustrated a couple of things that are of great
significance; the introduction of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney and the
establishment of Natchez,
Mississippi as the second largest slave market in the United States at the
time at Forks
of the Road, MS.

These timelines
were particularly interesting to me because in a very brief passing moment I
heard the narrator mention the “Indian Removal” I’m sorry; the Native American
removal during this period of time and was perplexed why this was used as a
footnote to African American history.

In the state
of Mississippi, next door to Alabama, just south of and west of Georgia, South Carolina,
Tennessee and good old Florida the “Native American” removal, the brainchild of
no other than the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, (you
know him, of the Declaration
of Independence; fame “We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

Somehow this
timeline of events did not warrant including with it, the history of antebellum
slavery among those same “Native Americans” who would be “removed” to Indian
Territory circa 1830-40’s and would carry with them possibly Africans and
African descendant people purchased at Forks in the Road Mississippi is incredible. I would suggest this history belongs on the same timeline of African Americans in the United States.

NARA Record Group 75 M234 Roll 148, frame 134

This nonchalant
mentioning of the Indian removal dismisses thousands of people who descend from
men and women who were brought west from places like the Carolina's, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, who had a long history of being enslaved by Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek
and Seminole Indians. I am at a lost as to how this continues to be no more than a footnote
in African American history?

It is ironic;
these people of African descent literally had to cross the largest river (Mississippi) in
the country to get to Indian Territory and they would in time create some of
the wealthiest “Indians” in the country based on slave labor.

Episode two mentioned the second middle passage was the buying and selling of slaves
to the Deep South; I guess when it came to Indian Territory they could
technically say it wasn't “the deep south.” But even today Oklahoma (formerly
Indian Territory) is referred to as “Little Dixie" and I'm sure in the upcoming episode on the Civil War the fact the Five Slave Holding Tribes fought on the side of the confederacy.

It seems to
me that if the origins of the Five Slave Holding Tribes began in places like
Mississippi (Choctaw), Alabama (Chickasaw), Georgia (Creek), Carolina’s
(Cherokee) and Florida (Seminole) then the slaves held in bondage among these “tribes”
warrant more than a footnote? Clearly before the Five Slave Holding Tribes were being removed during the 1830's and 40's they were residing in a place where the institution of slavery was rampant and they were willing participant and all we heard was "the removal of Native Americans?"

Prior to the
Civil War, the 1860 Arkansas Slave Schedule was produced with the enumeration
of slaves in Indian Territory. The one time I saw any indication of the fact that
slaves were held in bondage during this program was the map illustrating
the spread of "King Cotton" from the Atlantic coast and the deep south through what was Indian Territory (for
those who are not aware, it’s that unique shaped state just about Texas.) IF the
producers of this show knew that much, they seem to be remiss in the telling
of this story; YET! I'm holding out hope that this oversight is
corrected before we reach episode six….

The emigration roll of 1842 compared to the 1860 Arkansas Slave Schedule illustrates just how Jackson Kemp increased his wealth in eighteen years. There were other wealthy Native Americans who derived their wealth from enslaving people of African descent; including but not limited to the Love and Colbert families in the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. "Rich Joe" Vann in the Cherokee nation was rich because of slavery and this was repeated throughout the five tribes but you wouldn't know that by watching African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

As we can
see, according to the same timeline utilized in Episode Two of African
Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, there is another story of enslaved people of
African descent living seemingly in a parallel universe; suffering the abuses,
dehumanization and degradation that exist throughout the American continent. Unfortunately it appears their story has been lost on the producers of this documentary and that is disturbing considering the number of black
voices with doctorates providing historical commentary.

I would humbly suggest the producers may have
overlooked scholars who have published volumes on
the history of Indian Territory and the institution of slavery. I would begin
with Dr.
Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. author of several books on Indian Territory and
arguably the dean of historians on this subject.

Another excellent
source of Indian Territory history would be my friend Dr.
Jesse T. Schreier (yes, I’m biased but his work is worthy of reading.) Dr. Claudio Saunt has been teaching and
writing about Creek freedmen and the Creek Nation history for quite some time
and he deserves recognition as someone with valuable insight into African
Americans enslaved by Native Americans.

There were
many experts utilized that write about African American women’s interest during
slavery and there are many women who can provide insights into the experience
about the women of Indian Territory. Dr. Celia E. Naylor, has been writing on Cherokee Freedmen for years and recently I was delighted to engage in an
online radio broadcast that showcased the work of Dr. Barbara
Krauthamer; Black Slaves, Indian Masters: Slavery, Emancipation, and
Citizenship in the Native American South.

I first met Dr. Tiya Miles in 2000 at a
conference she was instrumental in organizing called “Eating From the Same Pot”
at Dartmouth University. Dr. Miles was named as a MacArthur Genius Award recipient in 2012 and I’m
sure capable of providing some critical information concerning the history of
African Americans who were enslaved by Cherokee Indians.

Perhaps it’s
“time” to present ALL African American
History?

Throughout the series, the African American genealogists and family historians listed below will weigh in on each week’s episode through the lens of their experiences as researchers, the stories of their ancestors, and the implications of the moments of African American history presented on family history research.

Friday, October 25, 2013

As I anticipate the airing of the six part series “African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross” I do so with the anticipation of someone looking to have his history included in the patchwork quilt that is African American history. Like so many people of “African descent” we have a need to be included in this story of America so we can understand just how we fit in.

Our patchwork includes so many influences that the title of the series leaves a lot for interpretation and I hope to put my insights into the history of the thousands of people who lived among the Five Slave Holding Tribes also known as Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole.

I suspect the story of Priscilla resonated with so many viewers who also perform genealogical research; especially people of “African descent.” The idea of locating and identifying the ancestor that stepped off that slave ship is a monumental task but I would respectfully ask my readers to take a look at the blog by my friend and colleague Nicka Smith, “Finding Your Priscillas.”

As I viewed this poignant story of a young girl put on a slave ship, brought to America and toiled on the Ball Plantation I was reminded of a story of a young girl forced to walk the so called “Trail of Tears” with her Creek Indian enslaver.

Mollie was said to be about 12 years old when she was separated from her mother Betsy and father Lewis; when she separated from her parents and arrived in America under hostile circumstances.

Mollie appears to have been living with her parents circa 1826-27 with their white slave holder in Alabama when she learned that she was going to be sold. After hearing the news Mollie ran away into the woods only to be found and brought back. When her owner decided she was too young to breed he sold Mollie to a Creek Indian who brought her to Indian Territory.

The confluences of these two stories are both another patch in the quilt of African American history because these women lived long enough to tell their story and have it recorded for all time. We have a responsibility as Dr. Gates has stated; to tell the larger story of African Americans and their struggles from enslavement to present day.

Mollie Perryman and Mary Grayson literally and figuratively crossed many rivers to survive and tell their story. Priscilla, Mollie and Mary were strong women who defied all the odds to live and tell their stories; it is our responsibility to see Indian Territory Freedmen included as part of the story of all African Americans.

Talk about crossing rivers, Mollie was sold on more than one occasion because she did not bear children for her enslavers, when she did, that child lived to tell the story of this remarkable survivor...

For more observations on the television series African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross the following is a list of members contributing members of the African American Genealogy and History Blogging Circle:

*Melvin J. Collier, Blogger and Author of two books on
his family history. His blog is:Roots Revealed.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

In the lead up to the airing of the PBS airing of “African-Americans,
Many Rivers to Cross” presented by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., there has been a
lot of publicity generated for the show. In an article published October 21,
2013 the views concerning the reason for the show are given by professor Gates.

As someone who mainly researches the history and
genealogy of African-Americans who were enslaved by Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Indians I’m always sensitive to programs like this
and whether the history I research will ever be a part of the discussion. It is
with great anticipation I await the first show with hopes there be more than a
passing reference to the extensive history of Indian Territory slaves and their
contributions to the African-American history.

In the article Dr. Gates is quoted as saying “Slavery-the supreme hypocrisy” was always
an essential ingredient of the American experiment. White America always drew
heavily on the labor, culture and traditions of blacks while denying them due
credit in exchange, not to mention their human rights.”

There is merit in this statement but it like so much
African-American history fails to include the hypocrisy of Native Americans,
specifically the “Five Slave Holding Tribes.” The article in the first sentence
declares how the wounds of slavery“still
afflict the country today”I would argue this should include the wounds
inflicted on the descendants of Indian Territory Freedmen.

The horrific “profitable
practice of slavery and the brutal inhumanity of Jim Crow”did not stop at
the borders of Indian Territory. The slaves of the Five Slave Holding Tribes
that were emancipated in 1866 also suffered from Jim Crow, race wars and lynching’s
yet very little of this history seems to be included in “African-American”
history. The contributions to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and
Seminole especially seems to be lost to history when programs of this nature
are produced and it is about time the history of Indian Territory Freedmen be
included.

As I watch this series it is my greatest hope that
the story of slavery among the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole
Nations is incorporated in the story.
The “amnesia about slavery”that Dr. Gates discusses I would argue should also include the amnesia in Indian
Country. If Dr. Gates and the producers
of African-Americans-Many Rivers to Cross are“interested in recognizing and discovering oft-neglected pieces of the
American puzzle” I humbly submit he need look no further than Indian
Territory or what is now the state of Oklahoma.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

In the book “Who was Who Among the Southern Indians, a genealogical notebook, 1698-1907” by Don Martini, he has a biography of a man named Jack Riddle that is clearly a description of the man listed on Choctaw Freedman card number 1146. The only footnote provided by Martini is the one pertaining to Choctaw Nation Case # 4855.

Don Martini, Who Was Who Among the Southern Indians, a genealogical notebook 1698-1907

There was a Choctaw Indian by the name of Jack Riddle who owned slaves yet it is not definitive this is that man. All three of the children mentioned in this biography left information that helps identify a Jack Riddle including a daughter Mary who is not mentioned in this biography. On Mary Riddle Sexton it is clear her father, Jack Riddle was described as a “Colored” man on her Choctaw by blood card# 2830

It remains a mystery at least to me why Martini listed a Choctaw Freedman among the Who was Who Among the Southern Indians? Perhaps he is one of those rare black men who owned slaves? If he did, it didn't prevent him from being placed on the list of Choctaw citizens known as freedmen.

Some of the questions about Jackson Riddle begin to be addressed once you take a look at the oral testimony in his Dawes packet. From this information a clearer picture of this man begins to emerge based on the information provided by those people that had a relationship with Riddle. The very first that stands out about Jackson Riddle was his language, the man needed an interpreter during his interview with a Dawes Commissioner.

M1301 Riddle, Jackson CHOF#1146 p2

The fact that Jackson Riddle apparently spoke only Choctaw would indicate his close ties to the culture of the Choctaw Nation and how indoctrinated he was in that culture. This should be viewed as an indicator on why so many former slaves of the Five Slave Holding Tribes chose to remain in Indian Territory following their “emancipation.”

The interview continues and more information that provides insight into the complex relationships between Choctaws and their former slaves. Remember this man is probably in his fifties therefore he lived through slavery and was eventually married to a Choctaw by Blood woman who gave birth to his children. If we view some of the documents and laws of the nation, his marriage should have been illegal and the tribal authorities should have enforced this law to prohibit such a relationship.

M1186 Riddle, Jackson CHOF#1146 p3

Well it would appear that not only did Jackson Riddle marry a Choctaw by Blood woman, when his first wife died; he proceeded to marry her daughter. I would argue this was again something that was acceptable by the standards and customs of the day and did not raise an eyebrow.

Something that should not be overlooked is the man interpreting this testimony for Jackson Riddle describes himself as a Choctaw as we shall see later, provided corroborating testimony for Riddle.

M1186 Riddle, Jackson CHOF#1146 p4

In many respects it is unusual to see a citizen by blood provide testimony for a freedman; having said that this might provide a basis for Don Martini’s assessment that Jackson Riddle was listed among the Who Was Who in the Choctaw Nation?

One of the things that stood out in this interview was the commissioner inquiring about the reputation of Jackson Riddle and how the community perceived him as a freedman. Without seeing all who lived in the area where Riddle and his family resided the idea that he was living among other freedmen is not clear. The fact that there were no other freedmen offering testimony for Riddle may also indicate he lived among other Choctaw citizens by blood.

A third witness provides more information about Jackson Riddle and his standing within the community he lived as a Choctaw Freedmen of mixed parentage and married to a woman of Choctaw blood.

The community in which Riddle lived was known as Quinton in Sans Bois County, Indian Territory. Simpson Colbert a Choctaw citizen by blood states Jack Riddle “is entitled to all the rights and privileges of such freedmen.” This is a statement I have rarely seen especially coming from a citizen on the blood roll, yet Colbert offers further information that provides some very interesting insight about the life of Jack Riddle.

The testimony of Simpson Colbert establishes without a doubt the citizenship of Jackson Riddle and that of every other Choctaw freedmen when he testifies, “”Jack Riddle has lived here continuously in the Choctaw Nation since his freedom; that he has voted at all elections and has exercised all the rights exercised by freedmen…”

M1186 Riddle, Jackson CHOF#1146 p7

It is unfortunate that in today’s contemporary Choctaw Nation the “rights and privileges” of the descendants of the freedmen have been allowed to be taken away on the pretext that citizenship is based on having the blood of someone on the Dawes Choctaw by blood roll when that was never the case.

One thing does begin to stand out in this particular instance; Jack Riddles was held in high regards by his neighbors and those Choctaw who knew him despite his status as a former slave. They also respected the rights of his children but as Choctaw by blood but in total, they were all considered citizens of the Choctaw Nation.

This riddle of who Jack Riddle was has one more twist in the story that may provide some justification for Don Martini including this Choctaw Freedman in his book about the significant people of Indian Territory and especially the Choctaw Nation.

The Dawes Commission received a letter supporting the application for Jack Riddle’s name being included on the roll as a Choctaw Freedman of good standing from the Principle Chief of the Choctaw Nation, Greenwood “Green” McCurtain. I would imagine for the Principle Chief to intervene on behalf of a freedman was extraordinary and here we have today people in the tribes who continue to deny the inclusion of freedmen descendants; clearly, times have changed.

Who knows, maybe it is because of all the stigma attached to being a descendant of a slave that the people of the Five Slave Holding Tribes continue to distance themselves from their history and their moral duty to adhere to the Treaty of 1866.

Perhaps it is a matter of more than one hundred years passing without those in the nation having the courage to seek out their true kin that was ostracized from them because of prejudices from the past that saw more virtue in white skin than black skin?

One thing is certain, there are many descendants of Jackson Riddle who have a seat at the table within the Choctaw Nation and there are more who deserve to be seated with them who are being denied the “rights and privileges” as freedmen descendants!

It is only a matter of birth that has determined these so called differences have become the deciding factor in a drama that has been playing out for more than one hundred and fifty years since the Civil War.

I continually ask myself if there are any citizens in the five tribes that have the courage to speak out against this "Continuing Wrong?"

I continually ask if those African-Natives in the five tribes have the courage to speak to their leaders about their cousins being continually ostracized from their ancestor's nation of birth?

I continually ask if there is any moral courage among the leaders of the five tribes to address this issue of citizenship that deprives them from distancing the tribe from it's insidious past!